My experience with a TA has been a good one. The first travel agent my wife and I used actually called us out of the blue one day after we had booked our cruise and told us that she was giving us some money back because the cruise line had discounted some prices! Unfortunately she is no longer in business as she was getting up there in years. Our new travel agent has been very helpful. My wife has bugged her about alot of things and she has done them without question. Royal Caribbean was trying to make us pay a fee for changing our flights, which was their mistake in the first place, and she made it all right for us.